Cuban authorities have announced that repair crews have successfully fixed a critical boiler at a major thermoelectric power plant, which is expected to be restarted soon after a shutdown earlier this week triggered a widespread blackout affecting millions of residents.
Plant Repairs and Expected Restart
Felix Estrada Rodríguez, a senior engineer at Cuba's Electric Union, confirmed to state-owned Canal Caribe that the Antonio Guiteras plant should resume operations by Saturday afternoon. The outage, which began on Wednesday, was caused by a broken boiler at the facility, leading to significant power disruptions across the island's western region.
Estrada Rodríguez emphasized that the repair process was slow and required careful attention to safety due to the challenging conditions. "It is a confined space with a high temperature," he explained, underscoring the technical difficulties involved in the restoration efforts.
Power Shortages and Grid Vulnerabilities
In a statement released on Saturday, Cuba's Electric Union reported that only 1,000 megawatts of power were currently available, which is less than half of the island's current demand. The statement did not specify how many customers remained without electricity, but the blackout marks the second such major outage to impact western Cuba within just three months.
Officials have attributed these recurring power failures to a deteriorating electric grid and severe fuel shortages. Cuba relies heavily on oil imports, primarily from Venezuela, but recent geopolitical events have exacerbated the energy crisis.
Geopolitical Factors and Fuel Supply Challenges
The island nation recently implemented strict fuel-saving measures following a halt in critical oil shipments from Venezuela. This disruption occurred after the United States attacked Venezuela and arrested its leader in early January, leading to a suspension of oil exports.
Compounding the issue, just weeks after the attack, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a warning that he would impose tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba. This geopolitical pressure has further strained Cuba's ability to secure reliable energy resources, contributing to the ongoing power instability.
The combination of an aging infrastructure and external economic pressures continues to pose significant challenges for Cuba's energy sector, with officials working to address both immediate repairs and long-term grid resilience.
